


Disappearance of a Beloved Mutt

by lucianafoxwritesfanfic



Series: Luci's Undertale Fics [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:08:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26003161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucianafoxwritesfanfic/pseuds/lucianafoxwritesfanfic
Summary: When life with his brother becomes too much for him, Mutt turns on a mysterious machine in the extra room behind their house. Finding himself trapped in Undertale with a bunch of AU versions of him and his brother, he finds himself not knowing what to do or how to get home.(Swapfell Papyrus needs more love)(I don't know what ships I'll have in this, but basically Mutt x everyone)(Someone help Mutt.)
Series: Luci's Undertale Fics [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1824814
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	1. It’s a Dog-Eat-Dog World

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Broken Bones](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10691748) by [Lady_Kit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Kit/pseuds/Lady_Kit). 



Fear rules the underground. And, as a member of the underground, fear subjugates me to no end. When one looks into the mind and acknowledges where fear resides, they can find where madness blooms. Where madness blossoms up with the thick, musty scent of echo flowers, you can find me trying to stem the lunacy.  
When I was younger and more foolish, my brother gave me a piece of advice that he has discarded long since.  
“Don’t kill,” He had said, his palm resting comfortingly atop my head. “And don’t be killed.”  
I wonder how long it has been since we last spoke as equals.  
“Mutt,” I shifted my gaze towards him, trying to ignore the mixture of anxiety and exhaustion that welled up within my soul. “You have a stain on your jacket, you idiot.”  
Oh. Toriel forbid I have a stain on my shirt. You’ve really caught me this time, brother. But Sans wasn’t in a normal mood. Right now he was especially anxious.  
“Sorry, m’ lord.” My voice was more raspy and quiet than it should have been, but I never used it.  
“‘Sorry’ doesn’t cut it!” Sans replied, ready to berate me.  
Before he had the chance to, a guard approached us. After the guard let us know that the queen agreed to see us, I followed Sans into the dark.  
The sound of the heels beneath his boots guided me as I allowed my gaze to adjust. Stars, those ridiculous heels. I’ll never quite get why Sans chose to wear the highest heels throughout the entire underground. I mean, I get that he’s short… but still. Napstabot has nothing on him.  
The throne room’s beauty had been sullied long ago by the monsters slain within. After the King had fled to the ruins, Queen Toriel had thrown a fit and torn up his garden. The floor once dappled with flowers and dust was now paved away.  
Sans hurried forward towards the throne, practically throwing himself at the queen’s feet.  
I’ve always hated the way Sans loved the Queen.  
“Your Majesty, you called?” Sans tilted his face up at her.  
“Yes,” She sat perched upon her throne, her claws sharpened and on full display. “I wanted you to look into something.”  
“Of course, my queen.” Though his face remained still, Sans’ voice was practically beaming.  
“Look into Doggo and the rest of his flea-ridden pack. I believe he may be associated with that damned insurgence.”  
Doggo? A rebel? His head was too far up his ass from sniffing his own butt for so many years that he wasn’t good for anything but receiving orders, not to mention that he was high most of the time. I fought the urge to scoff.  
“Of course, my queen.” Sans’ enthusiasm didn’t wane.  
“Oh, and Sans,” Toriel’s smile sneered slightly. “Get your dog cleaned up. He looks like he’s come back from being dusted.”  
“Yes, my queen.” The disapproval in Sans’ voice was clear. I felt the urge to cry or perhaps tear my brother to shreds, but I swallowed it quickly.   
I could never hurt my brother.  
🕱  
I kept my head down as I followed Sans through Snowdin. We always teleported through Waterfall since it was the most dangerous place for us throughout the Underground besides Hotland. Sans had no presence there except as Alphys’ ally… and the grand title of ‘Pals With Captain of the Royal Guard’ only went so far.  
It was odd that Toriel had summoned Sans. She usually only sent lackeys back and forth when giving her guardsmen missions… especially if they lived all the way in Snowdin. Surely Sans must have noticed this?  
But Sans’ gaze was fixed forward, scanning the perimeter habitually. In the underground, there was always the boss and his minions. The minions were never allowed to look up or make eye contact, only the boss did that. There was always the controller and the controlled. The master and the dog.  
“Got something to say, brute?” Sans noticed my regard.  
“No, m’ lord,” At least brute was a more creative term than ‘dog’. “But where are we headed?”  
Sans hesitated to reply, knowing that I wasn’t really allowed to ask him such questions before deciding to allow it and muttering, “To find Doggo, of course.”  
I fought the urge to sigh, knowing that I wasn’t allowed any follow-up questions. I kept my mouth shut.  
“You spend an excessive amount of time in that sickeningly sweet pale-soul dump run by that spider, don’t you?” Pale-soul was a derogatory term for weak monsters. Sans snarled it out like it was nothing.  
“Yes, m’ lord.” I frowned at the insult to my dear friend Muffet, a relationship I kept secret from Sans.  
“Have you heard anything about Doggo and his pack recently?” Sans inquired.  
I racked my brain for any information.  
“I haven’t heard much about Doggo specifically… but I have heard that the dog pack has been spending a lot of time in Waterfall. Rumor has it that the rebels meet up there.” I informed him.  
Sans frowned and I knew why. This meant that he couldn’t handle the job by himself. He would have to ask the help of Alphys.  
“I want you to go ask around in Hotland,” I swallowed an exhausted sigh. I would have to teleport all the way back towards the castle. “I’ll go discuss the matter with Alphys.”  
“What about our post?” I attempted to procrastinate the inevitable.  
“The queen sent for us in order to have us do this. This takes priority.” Sans replied dismissively.  
I was tempted to suggest that we both just stay at our sentry station but gave up quickly upon seeing the look on Sans’ face. You had to admit it was impressive… the lengths which he would go for the queendom...  
“Alright,” I hesitated before concluding in a hushed tone. “Stay safe.”  
“I do not take orders from you, brother!” Sans snapped stamping his foot on the ground impatiently.  
I blinked in surprise before a broad smile slid across my face.  
“Brother?” I inquired.  
Sans never called me that.  
Sans’ gaze widened before he fought down his embarrassment and snarled, “Just do as I say!”  
Watching him storm away and relishing my amusement, I teleported to Hotland.  
The air here was hot and dusty. After being trapped underground among the monsters for years on end, it carried the scent of blood as it flowed through me along with my magic. The decayed scent drew energy away from my tired bones and seemed to ask why I hadn’t been sleeping. I didn’t bother to reply.  
I couldn’t focus on my exhaustion with my life on the line right now.  
When it came to people who would know about what was happening with the dog pack in Waterfall, Undyne would know best. She often watched Alphys on her video cameras, taking note of her every action and interest. But I wasn’t in the mood to have a discussion with a mad scientist and her drag show tin can bastard, Napstabot, at the moment. I would never accept Sans’ idolization over the robo-freak.  
The next option would be gangs but… that’s an easy way to get swarmed and attacked.  
The only other person who would know the most about exchanges throughout the underground… I frowned at the thought of it.  
With a faint sigh, I teleported outside of Grillby’s fire bake sale. Pulling up my hood, I shouldered my way into the shop.  
“Well, well, well, isn’t this a delightful surprise?” The magical flames that made up Grillby’s face gaped into a grin. “Back for more lollipops? It’s always surprised me how much of a sweet tooth you’ve always had when your brother has so much distaste for it.”  
I slipped past the fire monster and gazed at the candy display, wondering how in Toriel’s name I could glean information from him. I felt my soul constrict as my mind came up blank.  
“Something on your mind?” I felt Grillby’s predatory gaze on me as he inched towards me.  
He knew something was wrong. I had never taken this long to buy sweets before.  
“I want information,” Grillby’s flames crackled eagerly. “And depending on the information, it could fetch you a high price.”  
“Oh? And what would this information be about?” Grillby inquired.  
I hesitated, cringing internally as I replied, “Doggo and his pack.”  
“Sans lost control of his mutts? Oh, not you, of course. The actual dog monsters.” Grillby looked as though I had just told him that the entire underground wanted to promote him as king.  
“Do you know anything?” I glared at him.  
Grillby seemed to battle internally before shaking his head and saying, “I’m pleased that you thought I might know about this but I’m afraid that I don’t know anything. Unless… you want to choose a different payment method?”  
I fought back a snarl as he eyed me up and down.  
“That’s a real bad joke, buddy.” I felt my eye socket glow as I loomed over Grillby.  
“You would know.” I ignored Grillby’s jab. “But if you really want to know that badly… I suppose that I do know a bit about the situation at hand. For one, I know that Doggo is not the head of the rebellion.”  
“That’s pretty obvious.” My voice gave into a coughing fit from overuse. I refused a glass of water that Grillby tried to offer me.  
“I hear that the head of the rebels lives in Waterfall. And that they’ve been working with the king’s sweet-pieces for information. But,” Grillby chuckled before deciding, “No, I shouldn’t tell you that.”  
I fought the urge to punch Grillby as I waited out his theatrical pause.  
“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.” Grillby gave and I rolled my eye sockets. What a jackass. “I hear that the rebels have already spread throughout the guards in the castle. In fact, I heard that the rebel leader is a guardsman themself.”  
I quirked a brow bone at that. If it were a guard, they may have been able to hide from Sans’ surveillance. Maybe even Alphys’ as well since she spends so much time in Waterfall. But wouldn’t the queen know? Or had I overestimated her? Perhaps they lived in Hotland instead of Waterfall?  
I nodded, deciding that this conversation was over and attempting to pass Grillby.  
“Oh,” I froze as Grillby grabbed my arm. “And, Papyrus, if you ever reconsider that payment option… or just want to have a bit of fun…”  
I ripped my arm from his grasp.  
“Don’t get your hopes up, you greasy tax monster shitlord.”  
I didn’t bother looking back as the king’s ass-kissing tax collector barked out a laugh. I dropped a bag of gold on his counter and hurried out the door.  
Pausing outside the building, I allowed my thoughts to begin to churn.   
I was surprised that sweet-pieces may be involved. Sweet-pieces were innocent monsters, hidden from the underground at a young age and sold for a high price. Monsters liked breaking in innocent creatures in the cruelest ways once they were sold. Most monsters would claim that they were the lowest class of monster since they lacked basic monster rights but… it was rare to find something sweet or innocent in this world. And they were soothing to talk to.  
I would have to investigate the royal sweet-pieces, the entirety of the royal guard, and probably all of Hotland with Sans when I got back. But for now, I had to get back to Snowdin. I had used up almost all of my magic and had just enough to get back.  
Teleportation was strange.   
I pushed myself off the ground, jumping slightly and feeling the world give as I landed smoothly. My hood fell, revealing my face.   
It was like finding little pockets, tunnels, or connections between places and leaping through at just the right moment. The world shifts around you, breaking like the surface of water and swallowing you whole.  
There were limitations, of course. I could only travel to places that I had been before and could remember clearly. I had to be able to remember them enough to be able to imagine reaching out and brushing against the location. Only when I could touch the invisible gateway could I manage to push through it.  
The odd thing was that Sans could not teleport. I seemed to be the only monster in the underground that could sense the gateways of one place to another. Sans claimed that this was the only reason that I was useful.  
Exhausted, I glanced around. I was too tired to stop by Muffet's on the way home. Still, I couldn’t head home without knowing where Sans was…  
But he was probably still in Waterfall and I was so tired that I’d only be a burden to him if I went there.  
Struggling with the internal debate, I finally decided to avoid my problems by getting drunk at Muffet’s. Somehow, in the underground, Muffet always seemed to be the easiest answer to me.  
Relaxing at the familiar chime of a bell as I entered the sweet-filled bar, I allowed myself to inhale the scent of fresh pastries. Spiders dangled from the ceiling like ornaments and monsters maintained a somewhat more peaceful atmosphere here. Probably because they were all drunk.  
I pulled my hood up and walked to my favorite seat at the bar.   
“You skipped lunch, dearie.” I fought a shiver at the sound of her voice, focusing on the wooden patterns of the countertop beneath my hands.  
“Sans has been workin’ me down to the bone.” My voice was soft and raspy, and I felt my face flush slightly at the level of exhaustion within it.  
“I missed you.” She set a bottle of barbeque sauce in front of me, allowing her hand to brush mine as she pulled away. A clear invitation that I’m too tired to take up today.  
“Not today, Muffet.” I voiced my thoughts weakly.  
I startled as she slipped a finger under my chin and forced me to look at her. Trembling slightly at her proximity, I watched her soft expression as she nodded. After letting me know that it was ok, she pulled away to go work.  
Shaking my head to uncloud my mind from Muffet’s affect on me, I sipped my drink and waited for its soothing effects to take place. I didn’t have to wait long.  
After getting abundantly drunk, I decided to head home.  
As I stumbled forward, my mind felt as distant and cold as the world around me. Night had come before I realized, and I tensed as I felt the menace of the underground that awoke after nightfall. I had no magic left and I needed to get home quickly.  
I struggled through the thick snow and hoped that the cold would sober me up before a whistle and a voice sounded behind me.  
“Well, if it isn’t the head bitch? Remind me what kind of dog monster you are?”  
“Doggo?” I turned around, gaping at him in shock.  
“Hey there skele-brother. Say… where is your brother at? He isn’t around here anywhere, is he?” Doggo stepped forward so the glow of my magic managed to exhibit his expression. He frowned.  
“He’s been looking for you. He heard you became a rebel without paws, heh. He heard you fell in with the wrong crowd.” The magic from Muffet’s drinks had managed to loosen my tongue as I replied despite my unease.  
“The wrong crowd, you say?” He pretended to give the aspect thought before chuckling darkly. “I’d say that I’d finally found the right one.”  
He waited for a response but I gave none.  
“I won’t try to convince you,” He decided. “I’m not here for that. I’m here to give you a warning.”  
“Which is?” I prodded distrustfully.  
“Convince Sans to quit the royal guard,” I laughed at the audacity of the idea. “Or he will die.”  
I paused as I felt anger bubble up in my ribs before stepping forward slowly and murmuring, “Is that a threat, pup?”  
“A warning.” He tried to glare up at me despite my height. “A warning from the head of the rebels themself.”  
My eyes widened in shock before I grabbed his arm and yanked him towards me.  
“Tell... me… everything... that you know about the rebel forces,” I growled out my words slowly.  
“I’m afraid that I’ve run out of time,” He ripped his arm from my grasp and reached into his coat pocket. “My cover has been blown and I’ve served my time.”  
I stepped away from him, assuming that he was reaching for a weapon, before pausing in question as I saw a flash of light against glass. He tipped his head back as I watched him down a strange liquid and his complexion turn an ugly purple. Still trying to comprehend the situation, I caught him as his body fell and shuddered. There was nothing I could do but watch as he frothed at the mouth and dusted in my arms.  
The rebels had sent him on a suicide mission.


	2. The Leashed of My Worries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story continues...

The dust clung to my clothes with wet snow despite my efforts to brush it off. My hands shook and I couldn’t forget the odd scent of poison that caused Doggo’s blood to fizzle away. I attempted to seem calm as I entered the house, glancing up with surprise as I noticed that Sans was still up waiting for me.  
“Any news?” I flinched at the volume of Sans’ tone. Sans paused as he regarded my expression and trembling form. “What happened?”  
The air felt thick and heavy as I tried to take breaths to calm myself. I was panicking and I knew it. Sans waited with a narrowed gaze as I began to collect myself.  
“I have news on,” My words broke off into a violent hacking fit. My chest ached with exhaustion. It seemed that my voice and body were done for the day.  
Sans frowned understandingly, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to talk even if I tried.   
“This is too much trouble,” He sighed. “Tell me in the morning. For now, head to bed and be ready to get up early tomorrow. We need to patrol before continuing the investigation.”  
I nodded my head, relief washing over me, before walking up stairs and heading into my bedroom.  
It wasn’t all that surprising that my body seemed to creak and groan like a well-worn house, I decided as I gazed down at my bed. It was a dog bed, obviously. Toriel forbid I get a real bed for once.   
Grumbling as I ripped off my heaviest articles of clothing, I flung myself onto the ratty old thing. My body began to relax as my eyelids slid shut.  
Time seemed to slow as sleep dripped through my bones.  
My mind startled uneasily in the middle of the night. I glanced around my messy room. Fumbling for the light switch, I stood and searched for the noise that awoke me.   
Discarded to a carpet crusted over from filth that had built up over the years, a glint of gold captured my attention. I blinked in confusion at the mysterious golden key that Sans and I had found when we first moved into the house. It had been years since I had last bothered to take notice of it. Next to it, lay the mysterious scratched out the photo with messy scrawl on the back reading, ‘Don’t forget.’  
I approached the key cautiously, picking it up and relaxing at its coolness against my palm. Frowning thoughtfully, I stuffed it into my pocket before heading downstairs.  
The house was quiet and the underground was still dark. Sans must be asleep, I reasoned.  
A faint meow startled me and I turned to realize that the front door was now open. In the underground, you never left doors unlocked, let alone wide open. Fear gripping my soul, I inched towards the doorway and observed small pawprints trekking through the snow.  
Confusion at the odd events left an itch in me to explore despite the vast darkness before me. I stepped into the cold and shut the door behind me. Following the tracks, I walked around the house and spotted a white cat with a mismatched gaze peering back at me.  
It was not the orange and blue-eyed cat that struck me as odd. It was not the opening doors or the strange serenity of the night that troubled me. It was the door behind the cat that caught my attention. For the first time since we had moved into the house, the mysterious backdoor had been opened.  
Sans and I had tried to open the door many times and never succeeded. Yet, here it was. Wide-open.  
I had never been the best at controlling my curiosity.  
I stepped past the cat and peered inside, searching for the source of a strange red light emitted from the back room. My gaze widened as I was met with a machine of sorts.  
It was huge. It was rare to have something loom over me with my impressive height despite my constant slouching. And, at the center of it, there was a bright red soul.  
Glancing to the desk and chair beside it, I lifted a white lab coat with the strangely familiar name, ‘W.D. Gaster’ listed on it.  
“Papyrus!” I jumped at Sans’ voice as it ripped me forward, awakening me back in my room as if the dream had never occurred. The key was nowhere in sight, likely still tucked away and surrounded by my other knick-knacks that had been discarded inside that eerie drawer.  
“Mutt!” I shifted my attention to my brother as I realized that he was practically sitting on top of me. As I met his gaze, his expression seemed tempted to hit me.  
“Yeah, bro?” I replied, somewhat shakily.  
“Your report.” He reminded me.  
Oh. Right. The report.  
“Doggo killed himself last night,” I admitted gruffly and Sans stiffened. “Grillby believes that the rebel leader is a guard in Hotland. The royal sweet-pieces are possibly being used as a communication method by the rebels.”  
That summed it up pretty well, I reasoned.  
Despite the fact that Sans had spent years trying to learn to hide his expressions, he was comically bad at it. Horror, surprise, respect, intrigue… I recognized each emotion as they flashed across his face. I smiled softly.  
“Anything else?” Sans already knew that I had told him everything that I was going to, but he still gave it a shot.  
“No, m’ lord.” I ignored his look of disappointment.  
“Very well, beast,” He climbed off of me and paused outside my door. “Be ready to leave in ten minutes. We have work to do.”  
I watched him leave silently before crossing my room and opening my bottom drawer. There, under crumbled physics notes and joke books, lay the golden key.  
It must’ve been just a dream.  
Yanking on a pair of jeans and struggling into a turtleneck, I pulled my jacket on over my other clothes. I hadn’t showered since yesterday morning, a true transgression in the eyes of my brother, but I could shower later tonight. Lacing on my sneakers as a finishing touch, I hurried to find my brother.  
What was that pun that I read in the human book from so long ago? What shoes do ninjas wear? Sneakers. Nyeheh, I wonder what a ninja is… I never did find out what a chicken was or why it crossed the road.  
“Mutt!” I staggered into the kitchen hurriedly.  
“Yes, m’ lord?” I hurried to right myself and gazed at Sans expectantly.  
Sans looked me over with disapproval before sighing and muttering, “Let’s go. We’re going to be late for our patrol.”  
“Oh. Right.” Sans turned and went into the kitchen before returning with my leash. I scowled openly.  
“Shut up and kneel so that I can put it on.” Sans sighed.  
I wouldn’t need the leash if we weren’t heading into Dogamy’s territory today. I had started wearing a collar when Sans first became a sentry in order to make the dog’s know not to touch me. I didn’t mind the collar as much, but Sans had a habit of tugging on the leash when he got emotional.  
Following as Sans pulled me forward into the cold, I glanced towards the back door. My head throbbed as I tried to remember the dream that seemed distant now.  
“Did you interrogate that pathetic fish lady the other day?” Sans spoke up.  
“Whaddya mean?” I turned back to Sans, my soul twisting with unease as I was met with a glare.  
“Did you interrogate the scientist? Undyne, you fool!” I raised a brow bone as Sans raised his voice, not bothering to feign a meek expression as he didn’t bother glancing back at me.  
“No, m’lord.” My voice was so faint that only Sans would be able to understand me.  
“Worthless.” I grimaced. “We’ll have to go talk to her today after our patrol.”  
Oh. Great. I get to go visit the very person that I wanted to avoid.  
“Fin-tastic idea, m’ lord. That’s a reel-y good plan. You always seize every oppor-tuna-ty that’s presented to you. You may think that I’m just trying to reel you in here but salmon had to say it.” I grinned mischievously.  
“Those are... puns… aren’t they?!” Sans exclaimed.  
“Gill-ty as charged.” Maybe memorizing an entire human joke book wasn’t such a waste of time after all, I muse. Or maybe it was and this changes nothing. I don’t know.  
“Well, you will cease that nonsense immediately! We’re entering dog territory now.” Sans didn’t have to warn me to shut up and be more cautious, it was already implied.  
I winced as Sans gave a harsh tug and forced me forward. Glancing around, I could see gleaming eyes fixate on us. Sans paid them no mind, continuing with his insistent tugging and hurried pace. I stuffed my trembling hands into my pockets.  
Studying the snow beneath me, I tried to take deep breaths and burrow deeper into my hood. My lighter elicited a loud clicking sound as I fumbled with it anxiously. I could really do with a smoke right now.  
My body tensed to the clicking of my lighter and the crunch of our footsteps as we made our way forward. It was eerily silent. Everyone was watching us. Listening to us.  
My head snapped up at the rustling of snow as a dog leaped towards us.  
“You killed him!” The female dog’s claws came inches away from my face before she let out an awful screech and fell to the ground. Sans sunk a bone attack into her skin.   
Tears leaked from her eyes as she continued miserably, “You killed Doggo, you killed him, you killed my brother...”  
I gazed at her in confusion. I had seen her before… but we had never spoken. My voice died in my chest as her blood began to seep into the snow.  
“You should know better than to try and touch my property.” Sans’ voice boomed throughout the area as his attack dissipated. The dogs surrounding us shrunk back into the shadows with a whimper. He kept a stony expression as he tugged me away from the scene.  
Why would Doggo have killed himself if he had a family? While I searched for an answer in my head, I heard the other dog monsters creep forward eagerly before ripping the girl to pieces. The easy EXP was gone in a flash.  
Just what were the rebels doing to these monsters?  
Wide-eyed and unable to relax, I followed Sans eagerly out of the dog territory. This marked the end of our patrol.  
“Teleport us to go see Undyne,” Sans ordered.  
“M’ lord, that will take up a lot of magic,” I tried to argue.  
“Now, Mutt.” Sans huffed angrily.  
“... yes, m’ lord.” I gave up, grabbing his arm and teleporting swiftly. I could usually only teleport us both 2 times a day over a great distance. Though, I could teleport 3 or 4 times on my own if I didn’t get into a fight.  
The familiar heat of Hotland slammed into my bones and flooded my ribcage, causing magic to sweat out. I glanced in the direction of Grillby’s shop and scowled discreetly. At least I wouldn’t have to visit him again today.  
Glancing down at Sans, I blinked in surprise as I noticed him fiddling with his bandana. An anxious habit that he’s had since he was young.  
“M’ lord?” I reached for him.  
“Enough!” Sans slapped my hand away. “It’s uneven. It needs to be symmetrical.”  
I stuffed my hands into my pockets, trying to not let my worry show. When was the last time that Sans had an episode like this?  
“Why did she attack you?!” He demanded, managing to rip off his bandana so that he could re-tie it swiftly.  
“M’ lord?” I blinked down at him.  
“Why did that stray dog attack you? What did you do?!” Sans yanked on his bandana too swiftly, nearly choking himself in the process. I fought back a chuckle.  
“Doggo killed himself,” I repeated my information from earlier as I gently pulled Sans’ hands away and re-tied the bandana myself.  
“I know that!” Sans snapped. “But… why? Why did he kill himself, Mutt?”  
My hands paused before I finished the knot and whispered, “I don’t know, m’ lord.”  
“Why must you always lie to me?” Sans’ voice flooded with almost mournful frustration as he pulled away. “Do you think that I’m stupid?”  
“What?” My normally quiet voice burst with confusion. “No. No, of course not m’ lord. Why would you think that?”  
Sans remained silent before adjusting his bandana one last time.  
“Fine. Let’s just get this over with.” He ignored my question and approached the lab door.  
Sans pounded on the door--an annoying habit that he had picked up from Alphys.  
“Let me in, you stupid carp!” Sans demanded, and the door creaked open slowly.  
“What do you want?” The old stutter that used to vex the scientist was nowhere to be found, she had fought it off long ago.  
Sans ignored her question and burst through the door, driving me forward with that cursed leash.  
“I still haven’t forgiven you for pulling Alphys’ tail off!” Undyne catches my arm and attempts to yank me back, causing the leash to elicit a loud choking noise from me.  
“It was just a prank.” I gasp out.  
“It wasn’t funny!” Undyne retorts.  
“We’re not here for that,” Sans smacks Undyne away from me. “Have you seen anything on your cameras in regard to the insurgence?”  
Undyne stills and the atmosphere becomes unexpectedly serious.  
“No.”  
Sans frowns and folds his arms.  
“I haven’t, ok? I haven’t seen anything.” Undyne releases me and turns away, obviously lying.  
“You have a loyalty to our queen,” Sans began.  
“Which I have not forgotten. But I haven’t seen anything.” Undyne interrupts, her voice growling slightly.  
“I want to see this last week’s footage.” Sans insists.  
The atmosphere becomes tense as the two glare at each other.  
“...fine,” Undyne passes by him and strides towards her lab. “But don’t say that I didn’t warn you.”  
Following Sans, I unclip the stupid leash and stuff it into my pocket. Undyne boots up her old TVs and Sans crowds behind her. Ignoring the two, I make my way over to her desk.  
Ramen, manga, and notes of the development of Napstaton’s body cover her desk. I hate that stupid fucking robot.   
The only thing that I found aberrant is a white letter stained with coffee and covered in a font that I had never seen before.  
To My Queen,  
-W.D. Gaster  
My eye sockets burned as I read it, surprised that I could translate the message that seemed to be encrypted. The words were detached, as though spoken from someone who I didn’t quite remember.   
But I elicited a low snarl as I recognized the name… this had to mean that my dream from last night meant something. But how was Undyne connected to the man from my dreams last night? What was she hiding?  
I gazed at the letter before glancing towards Undyne and Sans. They seemed distracted enough. Cautiously, I slipped my fingers beneath the papers and began drawing the letter towards me.  
“Damn Mutt!” I froze fearfully at Sans' exclamation. “Dogressa is always plagiarizing my territory! I’ll have to teach him a lesson later…”  
Holding back a sigh of relief, I swiftly pulled the letter from the desk and crumpled it into my jacket.  
“Mutt.” I tilted my head at Sans innocently as he gazed meaningfully at me before leaving. I, of course, was meant to follow.  
“Undyne,” I approached her calmly. “Have… you ever heard of anyone named… ‘Gaster’?”  
I didn’t expect much of an answer but my dream from last night still plagued me.  
“What? Are you looking for someone? Or perhaps you’re wanting me to look into a crush of yours?” She winked meaningfully.  
That was a clear no. But… then… who was W.D. Gaster? Was she just messing with me? But… I’ve always been so good at reading people, especially her. Was I going crazy? Had I finally lost the ability to read her? Had she been fooling me the entire time?  
“If I threw a fucking stick, would you leave?” Undyne interrupted my thoughts angrily.  
Does everyone have to make fun of my name?  
“No,” I walked towards the door. “I’ll leave.”  
I had gotten used to being greeted with a gust of snow when I walked out the door. The heat that greeted me was disappointing, to say the least.  
“What took you so long?” Sans never liked to wait.  
“Undyne wanted to get revenge for the tail prank,” I replied.  
“And did she?” Sans started away, heading towards the castle.  
“You know how slippery I am when it comes to being punished, m’lord.” I followed after him.  
“Yes…” The displeasure in his tone was clear and I smiled softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning:  
> Panic attack


	3. Sweet Smarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do the sweet-pieces know something?

“We still need to investigate the guards and royal sweet-pieces,” Sans hesitated. The guards would be very angry if they knew that he was suspicious of them. “Lucky for us, Undyne found out that the queen will be selling one of her sweet pieces off today. They should be easy to access.”  
Sans stuck out his hand expectantly. I smiled mischievously before feigning a look of utter bewilderment. Slowly, I reached forward and held his hand before laying a soft kiss atop it.   
“Not that, you stupid dog!” Sans exclaimed, ripping his hand away as his cheeks flushed with magic. “Teleport us! Now!”  
I smirked before reaching out and teleporting us both in front of the castle. I couldn’t help but think to myself that I was glad that my brother never became less fun to tease. I considered it one of my few constant joys left in the underground.   
Exhaustion made my soul sputter slightly as we entered the castle, and I rubbed my chest to fight the irritation. It had been days since Sans or I had eaten a full meal.  
Following Sans towards the halls around the throne room, we ignored the queen’s faux sickly-sweet tone and continued past her. According to the guards, she was ‘too busy to deal with Sans today’.  
Apparently, there was mercy in the underground.  
I jumped as I saw someone move in the corner of my eye. Whipping my head up swiftly, I frowned as I met my own gaze. The areas with sweet-pieces always had mirrors to ensure that they always looked appealing. In my case, however, it was a harsh reality check.  
My bone structure itself was quite handsome, with a strong lower jaw and prominent cheekbones. My fangs stuck out threateningly, one gleaming golden in the filtered sunlight. My eyes were naturally sharp and handsome. My features, however, were strained from years of exhaustion.  
It had been a long time since I had met my gaze in a mirror and I didn’t like what I saw.  
“You really like the way that you look so much?” I stiffened before turning towards an unexpected sweet-piece. “That’s alright. You are pretty handsome, after all. My name is Woolly.”  
His name was a joke, of course. He didn’t have a single strand of fur on him. Instead, his skin was smooth and dappled with turquoise scales. His most prominent features were his tail and black gaze, with two gleaming pupils gazing up at me.  
As my magic flowed throughout the room, searching for the familiar comfort of my brother’s presence, fear struck me hard.  
“Where is my brother?” My voice came out louder than I had intended.  
“You mean the other skeleton?” I fought the urge to attack or defend myself against Woolly as he circled around me curiously. “He left with some other sweet-pieces.”  
“What?!” I exclaimed furiously.  
This was ridiculous. Had all of our years in the underground together taught him nothing? Was he trying to get himself killed?!  
“Geez, dude. There’s no need to get so angry. He said that he’d be back in a bit. He even told you to keep investigating but you were too busy checking yourself out in the mirror.” My cheeks burned out of embarrassment and outrage. “Hey, what are you guys investigating, anyway?”  
I huffed out an annoyed sigh as I regarded the sweet-piece. He was quite eyesome, really. He had soft, boyish features and a nice height. He was even dressed in blue, flowy clothing that hugged him in all the right ways. Once you really looked at him, he could even be considered cute.  
I glanced around to ensure that there were no other sweet-pieces nearby.  
“Do you know any dog monsters?” My voice lowered back to its soft and raspy tone.  
“Dog monsters? Naw, I can’t say that I’ve ever seen one around here, toots.” Woolly held his chin thoughtfully before snapping his fingers excitedly. “Oh, but I did see…”  
He freezes and gazes at me hesitantly.  
“What?” I huffed, crossing my arms.  
“Well, us sweet-pieces don’t get very much attention before we’re sold, ya know?” He inched towards me as I scrunched my nose and pulled back, emitting a low growl. “And you’ll take off if I just tell you.”  
I gaped at him, unable to comprehend the sheer balls of the sweet-piece. Here I was, some scary monster that towers over pretty much every other monster that has ever existed. And he has the nerve to ask me to do something entertaining before I leave?  
“Have you ever had a monster candy?” My voice grumbled out as I dug into my pocket and pulled out a butterscotch lollipop.  
He bounced eagerly and stuck out his hands before I pulled the sweet above my head.  
“Tell me about what you saw first.” I insisted.  
“I saw a guard questioning a few sweet-pieces,” He pulled back and stuck out his bottom lip like a brat. “He was talking in a low voice, so I couldn’t make out what he was saying. But he kept scratching at his arm underneath his glove, as though something was making him really itchy.”  
“And?” I raised a brow bone.  
“That’s it.” Woolly shrugged, gaze still caught on the candy. I lowered it and he snatched it from my grasp before popping it into his mouth.  
“Open your mouth,” I grabbed the stick and tugged on it as he whined and shook his head, ‘no’. It came out with an unanticipatedly loud pop. “You can eat it without the… is the wrapper still in your mouth?”  
Woolly stuck out his tongue, the wrapper emerging with it. He beamed at me playfully. My features were swiftly bested by a small, amused smile.  
Pulling the wrapper out and tossing it aside, I handed him back his sweet. His features brightened at the sugary taste.  
Shaking my head disapprovingly, I murmured, “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to accept sweets from strangers?”  
He blinked at my grinning face before joking,” I guess that you could say that I lack sweet smarts.”  
Did he just--oh my stars, he did. I burst out laughing at his pun before biting my bottom teeth like a lip and meeting his gaze again. I froze as I noticed that he was blushing.  
“What is it?” I tilted my head with a friendly smile.  
“N-nothing.” I blinked in surprise at his sudden stutter.  
I laughed again before opening my mouth to reply before a pulse of magic sent shivers down my spine. Turning my head towards the source, a small wide-eyed rabbit monster inhaled sharply before dashing away.  
I stared at the empty space where she once stood. Reality hit me, making me sway slightly before I rushed forward and vaguely heard Woolly stumble out of my way, surprised and confusedly.  
The rebellion’s sweet piece.  
Adrenaline made my steps seem light, but my already low magic and HP seemed to drag me behind as I rounded the corner, watching the sweet piece disappear in an instant.  
She was heading towards the judgment hall.  
Summoning the remnants of my magic, I pulled a billow of reality aside and forced myself through the forged gap. My bones lurched as my magic levels dropped, but I turned expectantly to see a sweet piece gazing up at me in shock.  
“Going somewhere?” I tried to smirk, but I knew that my expression remained deadly when the sweet piece began to quake.  
“Wait,” She stepped back, crumbling into herself as if she wished that she could disappear. “I didn’t mean anything by it… I just happened to be nearby…”  
I frowned at her obvious lies before snarling, “Can ya feel your sins crawling down your back, buddy?”  
She hiccuped as I approached her, trembling and pulling her arms around herself. My arm shook with adrenaline as I reached out to grab her before she swung her arms and something came crashing into my face with the sound of a broken plate.  
I was on the ground in an instant, struggling to raise myself up as the world began to spin. The smooth floor around me glimmered with shattered porcelain and dust clouded my gaze. I coughed as I felt the dust flowing through me and stick to my soul. Pushing myself to my feet, I felt glass probe into my palms and draw marrow. I struggled towards the nearest entrance.  
I was suffocating from the strange powder.  
I stumbled out into fresher air and felt relief fill my soul, despite the still present irritation, as I glanced around. White fur flashed in the corner of my perception as I made out the silhouette of the rabbit monster’s tall ears.  
I wasn’t going to give up just yet.  
I had barely any magic left, but I ran after her. I was at least twice her height, despite my exhaustion. I could catch her.  
My thoughts turned back to Sans as I followed her towards Waterfall. I wondered if he was okay. But my thoughts jumped back to the chase as I heard the rabbit scrabbling desperately forward. She was getting tired.  
With renewed hope that she would run out of stamina, I tailed her into Waterfall.  
The air shifted in an instant. My ribs heaved at the unfamiliar feeling of damp, cool air as the rabbit monster dashed into the long grass.  
“Damnit!” I cussed loudly, rummaging through the grass before emerging out the other side. She had to be in there somewhere. Just as I was about to dive back in, I heard a snarl behind me.  
Turning, I came face to snout with Dogamy.  
“This isn’t your territory,” He snarled. “You shouldn’t snoop around in other people’s areas.”  
“This isn’t your territory, either.” I pointed out the obvious.  
He paused as if he hadn’t considered that before. Relaxing, his glare returned.  
“Yeah, well, I got business here! So scram, scrappy!” Well, that was a unique insult.  
“I got business too.” I backed away from him cautiously, hoping that he would let me go.  
We both stared at each other for a good, long pause. Inhaling slowly, my soul seemed to itch from the presence of the powder that I still hadn’t cleaned off. I fought the urge to cringe, turning when I sensed more monsters approaching.  
“Looks like you just ran out of time,” I glanced back at Dogamy. “My gang just arrived.”  
They slunk out of the shadows with crazed expressions. Some seemed manic, others angry, but most looked dazed or drunk as if they didn’t know where they were. Just as I began to hope that they all would be too out of it to fight, they met my gaze with narrowed pupils. They were all just LV crazed psychos.  
I had to get out of here.  
“Get ‘im!” My body lurched back at Dogamy’s command and I began scraping around my soul for more magic. Just a little more. Just a little more and I would be alright. But my soul was empty and tired.  
I tried to turn and run but a monster leaped onto my back, dragging me to the ground and sinking their claws into my sensitive spine. I couldn’t grasp whether or not I screamed.  
Vision faded by pain, I scrambled desperately to get the monster off of me. My head slammed onto a nearby stone and I heard an awful crack. Whoops and cheers sounded from the other monsters who seemed to stop to watch.   
Desperately, I managed to summon a sharp bone into my grasp and pinned the monster beneath me. Reeling my arm that was now burning with exertion back, I felt it sink something soft. My eye socket felt like someone had stuck a knife into it as I tried to make out the monster beneath me. But I didn’t need to see him; I just needed to kill him.  
It wasn’t enough. My panic had not yet been satiated. I raised my limb up and thrust the weapon forward again. And then again. My breath and roaring soul became all that could be heard or even felt. Until the bone attack sunk into grass and blinked at the newly formed dust. My head swirled as my LV went up.  
I stood shakily, eyeing the blurry gang that now gazed at me seriously. They would no longer go easy on me. I was now a threat.  
One stepped forward before a shout sounded in the distance.  
“That’s enough!” My soul fluttered with hope at the sound of Alphys’ voice.  
She stepped between me and the monsters and they fell back grumbling. She looked me up and down before glancing at the dust at my feet.  
“Papyrus,” Her voice was as cold as ice. “Get out of my territory.”  
I hesitated but exhaustion drove me to obey. Eyes and body still facing towards them, I slunk back and disappeared into the grass.

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings will be in endnotes.
> 
> Warning:  
> Violence  
> Abuse  
> Anxiety  
> Rape/Mentions of Rape  
> Panic attacks  
> Mental Health Issues
> 
> UT Sans - Sans  
> UT Papyrus - Papyrus  
> UF Sans - Red  
> UF Papyrus - Edge  
> US Sans - Blue  
> US Papyrus - Stretch


End file.
